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Squirter
10-20-2008, 08:10 PM
I'm a homeowner living in central Indiana and yes, I'm thinking strongly about buying a 2008 Walker MT-GHS 26hp.efi. w/48" deck. Yeah, I'm pretty confident it will produce a much better lawn/cut than I'm accustomed to with a riding lawn tractor. Pretty simple! Here's the twist. Once I retire from my regular 9-5 job, I may decide to take the Walker on the road and try to hustle a few extra bucks mowing/caring for 1/2 to 1 acre residential sized lawns in upscale/wealthy neighborhoods/areas.

Now mind you, I'm not looking to "work" for a living...but instead, just piddle around by mowing 4-6 properties/week (with the occasional help of a couple of young studs (son/grandson). The youngsters can do the 'real labor' type work (string trim, edge, lifting, etc.) while l park my *** on the Walker and supervise. Here are my questions.

1. Will the Walker really produce a high quality cut such that I can command a little higher price for services? 2. Does the Grass Handling System really work well for mowing & leaf clean-up or am I dreaming? Good vaccuum capabilities...or just a clogging mess looking for a place to happen? 3. Given the size of lawns I'm talking about, is it too slow to get the job done so I can move on to the next job $$$? 4. What are the Walker's limitations/weaknesses if I'm on mostly flat terrain??? 5. Will the rich/lazy/busy millionaire's pay for quality lawn service (leaf clean-up too)???

I realize most "pros" probably don't fiddle with bagging/catching for lots of good reasons. But, if I'm willing to do it, can I make money taking care of these million dollar homes/homeowners? I see leaf's all over the ground right now and smell extra money in the air. Am I dreaming?

P.S. I know the 48" deck presents issues entering gates...but I can be selective. Is the 48 a good "all purpose sized deck for my purpose? Who knows, if I get stupid and want to give the kids something to really do, I might buy a Quick 36 dually and put em to work.

Oh yeah, the real reason I'm thinking of buying a Walker is to make my own lawn the talk of the neighborhood. $11,000 worth of self-satisfaction (can you say *stupid*) Thanks for your ideas!
b121774
10-20-2008, 08:34 PM
1. YES 2. YES!!! 3. It should mow an acre an hour or faster(depending on thickness of grass and how often you dump). 4. Speed up hit will help but yet again depends on how thick lawn is. On flat open terrain I would get the split tail wheel option to get rid of the third wheel mark. Also you should get the 52 inch deck if gates are not a problem. 5. Depends on the millionaire!
Turf Dawg
10-20-2008, 08:38 PM
This will be a great mower for you and a side biz. I do not know if you can get extra for bagging, but the cut is great and you can or should be able to charge by the results. I think you are alittle off on saying that us "pros" do not like to mess with the bagging. I can tell you that on my commercial properties and high end residential properties that bagging with the Walker is well worth my time. Speed is not everything, the end result is. I have some places that if I mow without my Walker and then do the clean up for the end result it would take longer. They can clog, but not very often if you know what you are doing. Some people like the Exmark Navigator better than the Walker. I demod both and choose the Walker for the size and the way it cut or grasses. You may also want to demo the Navigator to see what is better in your area.
gene gls
10-20-2008, 10:24 PM
I'm a homeowner living in central Indiana and yes, I'm thinking strongly about buying a 2008 Walker MT-GHS 26hp.efi. w/48" deck. Yeah, I'm pretty confident it will produce a much better lawn/cut than I'm accustomed to with a riding lawn tractor. Pretty simple! Here's the twist. Once I retire from my regular 9-5 job, I may decide to take the Walker on the road and try to hustle a few extra bucks mowing/caring for 1/2 to 1 acre residential sized lawns in upscale/wealthy neighborhoods/areas.

Now mind you, I'm not looking to "work" for a living...but instead, just piddle around by mowing 4-6 properties/week (with the occasional help of a couple of young studs (son/grandson). The youngsters can do the 'real labor' type work (string trim, edge, lifting, etc.) while l park my *** on the Walker and supervise. Here are my questions.

1. Will the Walker really produce a high quality cut such that I can command a little higher price for services? 2. Does the Grass Handling System really work well for mowing & leaf clean-up or am I dreaming? Good vaccuum capabilities...or just a clogging mess looking for a place to happen? 3. Given the size of lawns I'm talking about, is it too slow to get the job done so I can move on to the next job $$$? 4. What are the Walker's limitations/weaknesses if I'm on mostly flat terrain??? 5. Will the rich/lazy/busy millionaire's pay for quality lawn service (leaf clean-up too)???

I realize most "pros" probably don't fiddle with bagging/catching for lots of good reasons. But, if I'm willing to do it, can I make money taking care of these million dollar homes/homeowners? I see leaf's all over the ground right now and smell extra money in the air. Am I dreaming?

P.S. I know the 48" deck presents issues entering gates...but I can be selective. Is the 48 a good "all purpose sized deck for my purpose? Who knows, if I get stupid and want to give the kids something to really do, I might buy a Quick 36 dually and put em to work.

Oh yeah, the real reason I'm thinking of buying a Walker is to make my own lawn the talk of the neighborhood. $11,000 worth of self-satisfaction (can you say *stupid*) Thanks for your ideas!

The Walker will do everything you are looking for. Don't expect much work from the " young studs". Most wealthy folks with big properties are "cheap". The best money is made on small properties.
STIHL GUY
10-20-2008, 10:39 PM
the walker will leave a great manicured looking cut
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